Monday, Weekday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 323

An informant came to David with the report,“The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.”At this, David said to all his servantswho were with him in Jerusalem:“Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.All those who were with him also had their heads coveredand were weeping as they went.As David was approaching Bahurim,a man named Shimei, the son of Geraof the same clan as Saul’s family,was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers,even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard,were on David’s right and on his left.Shimei was saying as he cursed:“Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul,in whose stead you became king,and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom.And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.”Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king:“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.”But the king replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours,sons of Zeruiah, that he curses?Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?'”Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants:“If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life,how much more might this Benjaminite do so?Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.Perhaps the LORD will look upon my afflictionand make it up to me with benefitsfor the curses he is uttering this day.”David and his men continued on the road,while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside,all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.

R. (8a) Lord, rise up and save me.O LORD, how many are my adversaries!Many rise up against me!Many are saying of me,“There is no salvation for him in God.”R. Lord, rise up and save me.But you, O LORD, are my shield;my glory, you lift up my head!When I call out to the LORD,he answers me from his holy mountain.R. Lord, rise up and save me.When I lie down in sleep,I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.I fear not the myriads of peoplearrayed against me on every side.R. Lord, rise up and save me.

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,to the territory of the Gerasenes.When he got out of the boat,at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.The man had been dwelling among the tombs,and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,and no one was strong enough to subdue him.Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsideshe was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,he ran up and prostrated himself before him,crying out in a loud voice,“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)He asked him, “What is your name?”He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”And he pleaded earnestly with himnot to drive them away from that territory.Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.And they pleaded with him,“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,where they were drowned.The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the townand throughout the countryside.And people came out to see what had happened.As they approached Jesus,they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,sitting there clothed and in his right mind.And they were seized with fear.Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happenedto the possessed man and to the swine.Then they began to beg him to leave their district.As he was getting into the boat,the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,“Go home to your family and announce to themall that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapoliswhat Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

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Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 139

Let me now sing of my friend, my friend’s song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; within it he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, I will let you know what I mean to do with my vineyard: take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled! Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his cherished plant; he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry!

R. (Is 5:7a) The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.A vine from Egypt you transplanted; you drove away the nations and planted it. It put forth its foliage to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.Why have you broken down its walls, so that every passer-by plucks its fruit, The boar from the forest lays it waste, and the beasts of the field feed upon it? R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong. R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name. O LORD, God of hosts, restore us; if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved. R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone;by the Lord has this been done,and it is wonderful in our eyes?Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."